The Most Rare Signature Drumsticks Of All Time?

[Vistalite Black]

Would the rarest signature drumsticks of all time be of someone super famous — like Bonham or Baker — or would it be of a drummer who is beloved, but not quite a household name?

All I know is when I saw a set
of old stock sticks bearing the signature of Torry Castallano of The Donnas, I had to have them! Donna C!

They are now secured in The Vault. If you guys are nice, I may show you other treasures I have secured there.

 

[JDA]

Where do "Tommy Wells" sticks place..I have a mint pair

 

[Skyrm]

 

[Nacci]

I have everybody beat with several mint pairs of signature sticks from our very own Treviso1 with these nifty humps. They are also in a vault.

 

[Vistalite Black]

If you're curious about intense this drumstick sickness can become, check out this 3,000-plus stick collection. Hell, he has more Todd Sucherman sticks than Todd Suckerman #mrroboto.

http://drumstickcollector.com/wiki/Drumstick_Collection

 

[JDA]

Bill Bruford long ago had an SD9 Promark in Maple (loved that stick) have a pair. I think his name/sig is on them have to dig them out. I don't see ^ it on that fellas list..yet. That was almost before VF went all wild with Maple I think.

 

[dsop]

I remember buying Gretsch Tony Williams signature sticks in the late 70s that were really great, and not like anything else. The Zildjian version was quite different.

 

[Johnny D]

I remember buying Gretsch Tony Williams signature sticks in the late 70s that were really great, and not like anything else. The Zildjian version was quite different.

His Zildjian stick was a direct copy of his Gretsch Tony Williams sticks (made by Capella). It was a Capella 2B.

Tony handed me the pair of Gretsch TW sticks he used at the 1990 MD Festival and we used those to develop the tooling for his Zildjian Tony Williams sticks. He said something to the effect, "If you can copy these, I'll play your sticks." I sent Tony prototypes for approval in November or December of 1990, and he approved the first version. He was the first signature drumstick artist I signed, and we introduced his stick at NAMM in January 1991.

I don't know what happened to his Gretsch sticks. For all I know, someone at the stick factory in Alabama tossed them. Wish I'd held on to them...

 

[JazzDrumGuy]

I've got a pair of vintage Elvin Gretsch signature sticks, and a modern (Promark?) pair actually owned & played by Elvin (thanks to Donn B.!)......

As for Bruford, I used to play that little sig model.......wondering what's so special about it? I kept blowing thru them due to the soft maple so I switched.

 

[JDA]

As for Bruford, I used to play that little sig model

the SD9 Promark Maple (wasn't the little one ; ) it was similar to VF SD9 Driver..
The little "one" was the 4

 

[pgm554]

I remember one of our roadies coming up to me after a show asking me to sign a stick that I had broken at the gig(Ludwig Ed Shaughnessy signature) .

6 months later at a gas station I saw him and he pulled the stick out to show me he still had it.

Fame is a funny thing.

 

[dsop]

His Zildjian stick was a direct copy of his Gretsch Tony Williams sticks (made by Capella). It was a Capella 2B.

To me, the Gretsch/Capella version had a thinner neck, just before the tip. It was so thin that it regularly broke right there. Regardless, it felt great before it broke.

 

[dsop]

Gretsch Tony Williams Mystery Stick!

From the Bopworks Vault: The Tony WIlliams Gretsch 5A Tipless model sticks!!?Circa early 70's is a best guess going by the green ink which matched other Gretsch sticks of the time. And, I would have to emphasize the word "best guess" here...They're 16 " long, and a hefty 5A thickness. I've never...

www.bopworks.net

 

[ARGuy]

Somewhere I have a pair of the John "Stumpy" Pepys autograph model, but I think they're best left unfound.

 

[Matched Gripper]

I have a well used pair of Regal Tip Jake Hanna Signature Jazz sticks with nylon tips that are around 40+ years old. Funky stick with a taper from the balance point to the butt of the stick. I don't break sticks, I just wear the wood tips down to the width of the neck. I guess since these were nylon tips, they never wore down.

 

[Skyrm]

That Tony article was great!!

 

[Gotdrums]

I have one stick from SR 71 . Now that is rare.

 

[Ptrick]

I used to write my name on my sticks at NAMM, as having a stick there to try things out is like having a backstage pass.

 

[MaskingApathy]

Would the rarest signature drumsticks of all time be of someone super famous — like Bonham or Baker — or would it be of a drummer who is beloved, but not quite a household name?

All I know is when I saw a set
of old stock sticks bearing the signature of Torry Castallano of The Donnas, I had to have them! Donna C!

They are now secured in The Vault. If you guys are nice, I may show you other treasures I have secured there.
View attachment 448684

What size/model are those?

 

[nomsgmusic]

His Zildjian stick was a direct copy of his Gretsch Tony Williams sticks (made by Capella). It was a Capella 2B.

Tony handed me the pair of Gretsch TW sticks he used at the 1990 MD Festival and we used those to develop the tooling for his Zildjian Tony Williams sticks. He said something to the effect, "If you can copy these, I'll play your sticks." I sent Tony prototypes for approval in November or December of 1990, and he approved the first version. He was the first signature drumstick artist I signed, and we introduced his stick at NAMM in January 1991.

I don't know what happened to his Gretsch sticks. For all I know, someone at the stick factory in Alabama tossed them. Wish I'd held on to them...

I have a pair of the Gretsch Tony Williams sticks that Tony gave to me (from his stick bag) at a session that he invited me to. I wish I had asked him sign a drum head for me. I'll have to live with the sticks and the memories!

MSG